MRI: Acquisition of a 500 MHz State-of-the-Art Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)Spectrometer

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This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Instrumentation Programs. Professor Michael Brown from Indiana University and colleagues Nicola Pohl, Amar Flood, Jeremy Smith and Silas Cook are acquiring a 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. This spectrometer allows research in a variety of fields such as those that accelerate chemical reactions of significant economic importance, as well as facilitating studies of biologically relevant species. In general, NMR spectroscopy is one of the most powerful tools available to chemists for the elucidation of the structure of molecules. It is used to identify unknown substances, to characterize specific arrangements of atoms within molecules, and to study the dynamics of interactions between molecules in solution or in the solid state. Access to state-of-the-art NMR spectrometers is essential to chemists who are carrying out frontier research. The NMR studies improve understanding of synthetic organic/inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry and biochemistry. This instrument is an integral part of teaching as well as research. This broadly accessible instrumentation strengthens the regional NMR analytical infrastructure and help advance the scientific careers of many undergraduate and graduate researchers, postdocs and visiting scholars in several research groups. The spectrometer enriches the education and training experience of underrepresented undergraduate students in several NSF supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs and is used to enrich activities at a local children's museum. The award is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels. The spectrometer is especially used for developing reactions for the preparation of organic molecules to be further studied for potential therapeutic activity and for determining the affinity of host-guest complexes. It is also employed by researchers interested in obtaining mechanistic insight into electrochemical nitrogen oxides reduction which is relevant in the production of ammonia and other industrially and physiologically important products as well as for carrying out natural product structure determination on microscale. The nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and associated instrumentation is also used for characterization of products obtained from high-throughput microscale reactions involving biocatalytic carbon-hydrogen functionalization and for studying NMR in catalytic design. It is also used by researchers carrying out high-throughput evaluation of glycosylation reactions which are controlled enzymatic modifications of organic molecules (especially proteins) by addition of sugar molecules.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.